Shoes are worn as often as underwear: every day. They are relied on to protect feet at work, school and the gym.
However, is it possible to rely too heavily on shoes? In a $20 billion industry, modern athletic shoes specially designed to provide support during physical activities are proving to do more harm than good.
The latest concept in fitness training centers is going back to basics: bare feet. Style can only carry fitness so far until natural comfort and health come into play.
The athletic shoe industry often focuses on developing perfect shoes pitched to optimize athletic performance by inflating cushions, increasing arch support or adding other bells and whistles to each design. However, too much of a so-called good thing can often result in the opposite effect.
According to Livestrong, experimental analysis shows how a moving body is “altered when wearing shoes” during physical activity, immobilizing natural movement and causing muscles in the foot and ankle to weaken and become prone to sprains and fractures. This could prove to be a leading cause in many athletic injuries.
The same article explains runners who wear high-performance shoes when running “strike the ground with their heels instead of the more efficient forefoot strike.” Striking down the foot’s heel in a stride can cause stress leading to “pain and injury anywhere along the body’s entire kinetic chain: the muscular system, the nervous system and the skeletal system.”
Prior to a recent battle about false product claims between Reebok and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, Reebok claimed its high-performance shoes, such as the Reebok EasyTones, did it all. The company captivated consumer audiences using an influential combination of catchy jargon with its “moving air technology” and celebrity endorsements to sell an opportunity for increased leg muscle definition.
Fancy vocabulary and design do not necessarily make for successful athletic shoes.
Last year, in an article from Becker’s National Orthopedic and Spine Review, Laura Miler found several studies showing athletes who hopped on the high-performance shoe bandwagon were subjected to more physical injuries than in past years.
Because of safety precautions, it can be hard to quit shoes entirely. Additionally, most athletic training centers and gyms have specific rules banning barefoot training, including the Aztec Recreation Center. They will not let members use equipment or even set foot in the facility if they are not wearing shoes. This is simply an enforcement of the common rule that athletic shoes must be worn at all times while open-toed shoes are often prohibited.
For sports players and avid exercisers who want to prevent injury and improve overall physical health, minimalist footwear that mimics the functionality of bare feet may be the solution to bridge the gap between restriction and comfort.
Richard “Roo” Sheperdson, personal trainer at Crunch Fitness in El Cajon, is a minimalist footwear enthusiast who swears by Vibram FiveFingers. He has four pairs of Vibrams, two pairs of KomodoSports and two Bikilas, he wears every day.
“I train and work in both of them,” Sheperdson said.
He explains the shoe, with its rubber outsole for grip and protection, is a good option for anyone because it “basically makes your feet stronger, your legs stronger and everything better.”
Vibram provides various styles of the FiveFingers. Customers can decide which style is best suited for them according to the activities they engage in. Just like any new method of exercise, Vibram suggests customers allow themselves some time to adjust to the shoes as they act like a second skin and promise muscle strengthening and improvement in range of motion.
No certification is necessary to take part in the barefoot movement. All it takes is an interested person looking to improve strength and overall physical fitness.
